Draft gear



Fb. 10. 1925. 1,525,885 H. c. PRIEBE I v DRAFT GEAR Filed July 1'7. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ema C'frdf PAT OFFICE.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE, 01? BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed July 17',

In carrying out my invention the opposite draft lugs upon center or draft sills are merged or assembled into unitary structures whereby each draft lug of such a structure supplements and strengthens the other and co-operates therewith in receiving draft strains and transmitting the same to the draft sills.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention each pair of opposite draft lugs has an upright transverse wing overlapping the upright transverse wing of the other and one of these transverse wings is formed with an offset to receive the other whereby both wings present asingle abutting surface to the draft gear element whose motion is limited thereby. Strengthening ribs are also provided for the draft lugs the strengthening ribs of one draft lug being continued to underlie both wings so that not only is the wing of the draft lug carrying these particular ribs strengthened thereby but the wing of the complemental draft lug is also strengthened by these same ribs. The overlapping wings are desirably riveted and the latter ribs are continued into line with the rivets.

The invention will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a draft gear constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is aperspective view of two complemental draft lugs in separated relation; Fig. a is perspective view showing the draft lugs of Fig. 3 in assembly; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The center or other draft sills 1 and 2 are assembled in any suitable way with the body of the car. The draft gear of the in- 1923. Serial No. 652,132.

vention is interposed between these sills:

This draft gear. includes a coupler having a stem 3 and a yoke 4. The stem is formed with a transverse horizontal key. slot there-v through at the inner end thereof while the outer end of the yoke is formed with similar slots 5 which are alignedwiththe. slot. in

the stem. A key 6 is passed through all. of these slots which,.-1with the. exception of the slot in the stem, are all longer than the. width of the key so that the key may move longitudinally of the yoke in the operation of the gear. This key also passes through slots 7 formed in the center sills, these-slots being also longer than the width of the key to permit the key to move longitudinally of the sills.

Motion limiting draft lugs 8,9 are riveted to the inner upright sides of the center sills and are engaged by the inner end of the yoke. An outer follower 10 is surrounded or enclosed by the yoke. and is engaged by the the gear and are engaged by the follower 10 to limit the extent of the outward movement of this follower.

The gear is further assembled. with the draft sills by means of a key 12 passing through slots 13 in the center sills and through a slot in the inner end of the coupler yoke. The slot in the coupler which receives the key 12 prevents material movement'longitudinally of the gear between the gear and yoke but the slots 13 are longer than the width of this key to permit the key to move longitudinally of the sills. The key 14 also takes part in assembling the gear with the sills, this key passing through a slot in the outer follower 10 that snugly receives the same and passing through slots 15 inthe center sills that are longer than the width of the key 14 to permit this key to move longitudinally of the sills. Springs 16 are upon the outer sides of the sills and between the outer ends of the keys 12 and 14;, these springs pressing upon the follower 1O outwardly and away from the inner end of the coupler yoke. Two rockers 17, 18 are also surrounded by the yoke. The outer rocker 17 has a curved outer face that is seated upon the curved inner end of the follower 10. The rocker 18 has a curved inner face that is seated upon the curved seat 19 formed integrally with the yoke. The rockers have opposed engaging or otherwise co-acting faces whereby each has turning action upon the other. The rocker 18 engages a spring 20 seated within and carried by a transverse extension 21 of the yoke. This spring serves to oppose the interaction of the rockers and thereby absorb the shocks to which the gear is subject.

The draft lug 8 has an inwardly projecting upright wing 8 and the draft lug 9 has an inwardly projecting upright wing 9, this wing having its inner half portion offset the thickness of the wing 8 that projects into and substantially fills the recess formed by the offset. The overlapping ends of the wing are secured together by rivets or bolts 22 whose outer heads are flush with the wing 8 and whose other heads may bulge. These rivets unite the wings into a unitary structure with the lugs the lugs and their united wings spanning the space between the draft sills. The surface presented by the wings 8, 9 of the inner end of the coupleryoke lie in one plane. The wing 9 reinforces the wing 8 directly. The wing 8 r inforces the wing 9 through the intermediation of the rivets 22. The wing 8 is further reinforced by the ribs 8 and the wing 9 by the ribs 9 The latter ribs are desirably extended to underlie the overlapping portions of both the wings 8 and 9, thee ribs desirably terminating at the rivets or bolts 21 to strengthen the union of the wings in the region of thes bolts or rivets.

lVhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without dearting from the spirit of my invention, but iaving thus described my invention I claim as new and desire. to secure by Letters Pat ent the following 1. The combination with draft sills of a car; of oppositely arranged draft lugs each having a wing projecting toward the other, the wings of the lugs overlapping; and bolts or rivets passing through the overlapping portions of the wings and uniting the same in a unitary structure.

2. The combination with draft sills ofa car; of oppositely arranged draft lugs each having a wing projecting toward the other, the wings of the lugs overlapping and one being offset substantially the thickness of the other which is received in the recess formed by the offset; and bolts or rivets passing through the overlapping portions of the wings and uniting the same in a unitary structure.

8. The combination with draft sills of a car; of oppositely arranged draft lugs each having a wing projecting toward the other, the wings of the lugs overlapping; ribs on the inner s des of the draft lugs and extending to the wings thereof; and bolts or rivets passing through the overlapping portions of the wings and uniting the same in a unitary structure.

4. The combination with draft sills of a car; of oppositely arranged draft lugs each having a wing projecting toward the other, the wings of the lugs overlapping and one being offset substantially the thickness of the other which is received in the recess formed by the offset; ribs on the inner sides of the draft lugs and extending to the wings thereof; and bolts or rivets passing through the overlapping portons of the wings and uniting the same in a unitary structure.

5. The combination with draft sills of a car; of oppositely arranged draft lugs each having a wing projecting toward the other, the wings of the lugs overlapping; ribs on the inner sides of the draft lugs and extending to the wings thereof, the ribs on the draft lug whose wing underlies the wing of the other draft lug extending to this underlying wing where it underlies the other wing; and bolts or rivets passing through the overlapping portions of the wings and uniting the same in a unitary structure.

6. The combination Withdraft sills of a car; of oppositely arranged draft lugs each having a wing projecting toward the other, the wings of the lugs overlapping and one being offset substantially the thickness of the other which is received in the recess formed by the offset; ribs on the inner'sides of the draft lugs and extending to the wings thereof, the ribs on the draft lug whose wing underlies the wing of the other draft lug extending to this underlying wing where it underlies the other wing; and belts or rivets passing through the overlapping portions of the wings and uniting the same in a unitary structure.

7. The combination with draft sills of a car; of oppositely arranged draft lugs each having a wing projecting toward the'other; and bolts or rivets uniting the wings in a unitary structure.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 21st day of June A. D., 1923.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE. 

